Device for packaging flat flexible articles



Oct. 20, 1953 R. B. BROWN 2,656,082

DEVICE FOR PACKAGING FLAT FLEXIBLE ARTICLES Filed Oct. 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORZ. 47; Aoaskr 8. BROWN.

45 I 5a warm //7 48 m BY5352 ATTORNEYS Oct. 20, 1953 R. 5. BROWN 2,656,082

DEVICE FOR PACKAGING FLAT FLEXIBLE ARTICLES I Filed Oct. 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 53 II E'NTOR:

ATTORNEYS ROBERT B BRMM a: rather tedious-and painstaking ta-s Patented Oct. 20, 1953 i H 2,656,082

This inventiongelate's tq apparatps'tor mi kf qtfi a ll r Lear n stgraslu 'l diQQIQ SQ ing; substantiallsfifia fltt ibl fo iectfi amtnmre ee n, redv al eesa s shyte by es'necially toa device amt'method fer inserting an pperatqg. 'gl -he h ag meajns on the frgnt relatively flat: flexialearticles .sueh. as sheets eng;thei" eo,f ;,fqr hglg ingg zv'loag, flIjhe bagfl hpld ing oi cardboard ortheiike ofi-which-strips qpsiigeg 5 mean is so arranged as to can; ,thie ba fip g of bacon are positioned, into paper or cellophane opened; aeqi tjg slid gver the s ame by the qperator biig H A t. oet iis nr sen tthaopenuendpit elaa zttqthe Wis-well owa a i lt'wit zthemrt nqr i i of; hei chptmw himwhmh the s et 9i thatiin'theprocesstdf preia'hring hacqn'andb'dnaiori bacon; ifist p sid; ran. Jgot, t lltf eiby ,taqi itatez 1 gousrartfckifOndisplat; the. bagon ig'si'icefd in 10 the'sheeizgf bg' nto the Legals-it slid along relatively tmn1-fiarrow--strip" ands-Ha- .piura'li yt of;

ehuteiult-is y dsntm tthis-op. M 95 an these slics ofbaconaafeflshafly p sitiopdsonta: betpgrig megmvqr H evamt tlifix oriehe relativelyheavfsheet'bfpavgtof cardb'oardwith ORQ MZQLQQR 1idfii sheetatpf baqon Int t e sli'ces dtbaofiarrinkd-inrar i fliy overlap-L twin le. test aeu repent ckmn ping relation" 170'"83thOthflfid"thEZTCardbOaId 15 013 began gr h thqpagsover having the bacbnrthei'edrrzfim sometimes=herein= thepgrile sppn afterberferfed td'ei wshetofbgconi iza -ep there Now; after. the" of man has" been arr- Q ?J to ranged in' themamref-qdes'cribedr according to in ags which is) the' 'prsent invention; iir-isfiriserted-in a*tran s-' be sae i mco st q. .529 parent bag or .contzinerkprferablymade"from pm$fl fiw hgohjggtg p f the jnve celloisha-n Or'the like;whichdgsuh tantiaiiy 9f h6g fit tqd other gpiec the same shape; aimr-siz'e aswhe sheet qf bahon: sqiiintiqn aegis h Heretofore, ba:c6nhas beerrwmppfidr i'therautqi matically or hyi ham? anti if? it 'way desird tq put the saineinn?bawit 'was neeessaryztprinsert the-'sheetof bcori in th: Hagtby-handgnd; due e n i e, w' h i e 'ofthe :bag uing u tantiallmthe zt blszans w 9%, aims. ttlliab s uth same size as? the sheet o'rbacmr this'has'zbeen. QQQYQX table being wn h matl 5 1, A, V has' been necessdi'y .for' thez-opexaitorftb hol'fiether; 2 bgopen =with onehan'fliwhflebending the sheet of bacon in' the center-thatch?- ta'zfierniit it td be inserted in" theha e and thent'straiighteningi the shet'ofbabomby h'amif It' evidenir'thalt'inn, serting: these sheets df' bacli'n" bdgstby "hand Y figure 3 s a p Plain View f e p 'g haebeenarcostiypiocedixre resuitingziinaxreia tively high cost to thegmeefi 'andyofcourse; tQ; F g/1 71% ifil Pier; f the device look: the consumer,"consequeiitlyg afiwfapper-igalisufilly gipnfit b ti iqmam used and" this 'is not'aswflififactorif as 'a'bg and 5 a rear d l v nof the packa isf more ex enive and usi'iaily requirsexiiensive a in the;

of being inserted t .ng.e emtiq pi hepa haaa tion of the standard there:

Itis; therein-, n 'hjet df thi's 3 3.

- for!) e mg in the distance' hetween=*opposite* side edges on each of theeshets of-cardboairdl2,

' in substantially parallel relation to eachother,

As the sheets at bacon S move along with the conveyor ID, in the direction of the lower arrow in Figure 1, each of the same is picked up by the operator and inserted in a rectangular bag B which is substantially of the same size and a shape as the sheet of bacon S. This bag B is preferablymade from a transparent .material, such as. cellophane and the like, so the contents thereof may be observed when the sheet of bacon S is displayed in the bag B. r V

The improved packaging device comprises an elongated open-topped substantially channel J shaped or U-shaped chute broadly designated at 20, which includes successively alinediintercom municating sections, namely, a rear or ingress" section 2|, an intermediate section. 22Tarid2a:fronti or bag holding section 23. The chute 2|] is prefr erably made from a relatively thin rigid material such as sheet metal. The ingress and intermediate sections 2| and 22 are of generally U'-shaped' or channel-shaped configuration in cross-section; and act as confining members and the front or bag holding section 23' is shaped similar to a shovel or dust pan. 7 l

The chute has a flat bottom comprising bottom members 24, and 26 which define the bottoms of the respective sections 2|, 22 and 23. The bottom member 24 is preferably trapezoidal in plan. The bottom 25 of the intermediate section 22 is time shape of an elongated rectangle and the bottom 26 of the front or bag holding section 23 is also preferably trapezoidal in plan. The proximate ends of the bottom members 24 and 26 are of substantially the same dimensions as the opposite ends of the substantially rectangular bottom member 25 of the section 22 and are suitably connected thereto, as by welding, or may be integral therewith, if so desired.

It will be noted that the outer or front end or base edge of the bottom member 26 of the section 23 is substantially wider than the outer or rear end or base edge of the bottom member 24 of the section 2|. The outer or front end of the bottom member 26 is also substantially the same width as the distance between the upper edges of the side walls of the intermediate section 22. The rear or ingress-section 2| is provided with up wardly and outwardly diverging side walls 2'3 and 28, the lower edges of which are connected to opposite side edges of the bottom member 24' and may beintegral therewith. These angularly disposed side walls 21 and 28 also converge forwardly and the upper edges thereof extend in substantially parallel relation to the bottom member 24.

a The opposite side edges of the bottom member 25 of the intermediate section 22 have the lower edges of upwardly and outwardly diverging side walls 3| and 32'connected thereto or integral therewith, the rear edges of which are connected to the front edges of the upwardly diverging walls 21 and 28 of the rear section 2|, as by welding, or they may be integral therewith. It will be noted that the walls 3| and 32 extend forwardly The walls 3| and 32 also terminate flush with the upper edges of the side walls 21 and 28 and extend in substantially parallel relation to the bottom member 25. Suitably secured to and projecting inwardly from the upper edges of the side walls 21, 3| and 28, 32 are respective confining flanges 34 and 35, the inner or proximate edges of which extend in substantially parallel relation to the upper edges of the corresponding side walls 21, 3| and 28, 32. The rear edges of the confining nd: u w dly termediate section 22, asbywelding. .The lower edges of these'si'de walls4|l and 4| areconnected to the opposite side edges of the bottom member 260f the bag holding section 23. Of course, these side walls 40 and 4| may be integral with the bottom member 26ioff the section 23, if desired. It will be observed in Figures 1, 2 and 3 that the front sharpends of the side walls 43 and 4| terminate substantially flush with the front edge of the 1 bottom. member ;26;thus providing a rearwardly slanting upper edge to the side walls 40 and 4|. It is thus seen that the front end of the chute 26 presentsa narrow fiat edge about which the open end of the bag Bmay easily be placed and then the bag B maybe slid rearwardly to the juncture of the side walls 3| and 45 and 32 and 4| of the adjacent sections 22 and 23 thus causing the bag'B to be opened for receiving the sheet of bacon S.

The chute 20 of the packaging device is suit ably secured, as by spot welding, to a standard broadly designated at 45 which is shown as being made from a piece of 'strap material'having a horizontal portion 46 extendingforwardly from a vertical portion 41. The lower end of the standard 45 is bent at rightangles to form a foot por-. tion 48. The horizontal'leg of the standard 45 extends substantiallythe same length as the bot tom member 25 of the intermediate section 22 and a suitable gusset plate 5| is welded or otherwise secured to the rear surface of the vertical leg.

41 of the standard'45 and supports the rear sec-i tion 2|; The vertical leg 41' of thestandard 45 has an angle clip 52 suitably secured thereto, as by spot welding, and the horizontal leg of the angle clip 52 and the horizontal portion 43 of the standard 45 are penetrated by bolts 53 for secur-L ing the standard and the'chute 25 to the'table I;

It is preferable that therearmost edges of the side walls 21 and 28 of the section 2| of the chute 20 extend downwardly and rearwardly at an angle from the rear ends of the confining flanges- 34 and 35 and that the rear edge of the bottom. member- 24 is disposed rearwardly of the vertical plane of the rear ends of the confining flanges 34 and 35 to facilitate insertingeach of the sheets of bacon S into the ingress end of the chute 23.

.It'is thus seen thatI have provided meansfor: carrying out the method of passing the sheets of. bacon between a pair. of confining members, such. as the junctures of the walls 2?, 3| and 28, 32 with the respective confining. flanges 34 and 35,

- and wherein the confining members have a dis-- tance therebetween which isless. than the width, of the sheet of bacon S so the sheet of bacon will be bowed or bent intermediate its ends as it; is passed between the confining members and wherebythe distance from one'side edge to the opposite side edge'of each o'fthe' sheets of bacon, S is'substantiallyless than the distance from one edge to'the opposite edgejof the bag B.

Thus, each. of the sheets of bacon S maybe taken off of the conveyor J5, by the operator grasping the end of the, corresponding sheet of bacon furthest" from the chute'2t, and then the operator slides the-sheet of bacon forwardly and inwardly between the walls- 2! and 28 of the ingrass section 2| andimmediately-beneath the confining flanges 34 "and 35. The distance be- 6 tween the uppermost-rear-comcrs of the walls 21- and 280i theing'ress section 2! preferablysum stantially greater than the distance from, one side edge to. the other of the sheet of bacon S so the sheet of bacozr may be readily inserted in, the ingress end of the chute 20.

Now, as the operator slides the sheet of bacon S forwardly, in the direction of thearrow: in the upper portion of Figure l, the opposite edges of the sheet of bacon S will be caused to move towards each other as the central portion thereof is bowed downwardly whereupon the sheet of bacon may he slid into the bag-B previously positioned over the bag holding section 23 in the manner heretofore described; s the; sheet. of bacon S is slid intothe bag B, the bagB may be released by the operator thus permitting thesame to move ofi'ofthe bag holding'scti'on 23' of thechute to thus complete the packaging operation.

It is thus seen that the packaging of each of the sheets of bacon S may be performed by a single uninterrupted forward stroke of the operators hand as he moves each sheet of bacon S through the chute 20 in the manner described.

Although a sheet of bacon is specifically referred to throughout the specification, it is to be understood that the packaging device and the method of packaging may be used in packaging any type of fiat substantially rectangular flexible or bendable article of substantially the same size as the wrapper or bag in which it is to be packaged.

In the drawings and specifications, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for inserting relatively flat rectangular flexible articles, such as sheets of bacon, into open-ended bags of substantially the same shape and size as the articles comprising an open-top chute having an ingress section, an intermediate section and a bag holding section arranged in series and in alinement with each other, said ingress and intermediate sections each having a pair of upwardly diverging side walls, the side walls of the ingress section being connected to the side walls of the intermediate section and extending away from the intermediate section in diverging relation to each other, said bag holding section comprising a substantially trapezoidal bottom member and substantially triangularly-shaped side walls connected to opposite side edges of the bottom member and having their edges remote from the apex thereof connected to the edges of the upwardly diverging side walls of the intermediate section remote from the edges to which the walls of the ingress section are connected, and inwardly extending confining flanges on the upper edges of the side walls of the intermediate section and the ingress section, whereby a flexible planar article may be inserted between the side walls of the ingress section immediately beneath the inwardly extendin confining flanges and slid along the ingress section and along the intermediate section and will be bowed as the opposite side edges thereof are moved toward each other to thus decrease the distance between opposite side edges of the article to permit the same to enter a bag positioned over the bag holding section.

2. A device to facilitate inserting fiat substantially rectangular flexible; articles openee'nded bags .of. substantially the same. shape-and size as the articles comprising an open-topped substantially channel-shaped chute .having -an. intermediate section provided withspaced parallel side walls, a rear section also havingspaced side walls connected-to'the rear ed es Of: the side walls of the intermediate sectien, the side walls otthe rear section extending. rearwardly in diverging relation to each other from theirjuncturawith the: walls. of theintermediate section, the upper edges oi theside wallsof. the; rear and;; inter mediate sections each havinginwardly extending flanges thereon, a-shovel-,shaped front section having spaced side walls; connected attheir edges to the front edges of, the sidewalls ofthe interme iatesec-tion;member d es of t s e: ll of; the-,shovelsshalleda se i ta er n to -wei dly from their juncture with the side walls of the intermediate section to facilitate positioning a bag over the shovel-shaped section, whereby an article of greater width than the distance between the upper edges of the walls of the intermediate section may be passed through the rear and intermediate sections successively with the opposite side edges beneath the flanges to cause the article to become bowed as the opposite edges of the article move toward each other to thus permit the article to be fed into the bag.

3. A device to facilitate inserting fiat substantially rectangular flexible articles in open-ended bags of substantially the same configuration and dimensions as the articles comprising a chute having a substantially U-shaped intermediate section and a substantially U-shaped rear section, each of the intermediate and rear sections having upwardly diverging walls, the walls of the rear section being of substantially the same height as the walls of the intermediate section and having their front edges connected to the rear edges of the intermediate section, the Walls of the rear section extending rearwardly from the intermediate section in diverging relation to each other, a flange extending inwardly from the upper edge of each of the walls of the intermediate and rear sections, said flanges extending the entire length of the upper edges of the corresponding walls, a U-shaped front section having upwardly and forwardly diverging side walls connected at their rear edges to the front edges of the side walls of the intermediate section, and the upper edges of the side walls of the front section each being cut at an angle and extending forwardly and downwardly from their juncture with the upper edges of the side walls of the intermediate section.

4. An open-top chute for packaging flexible planar articles comprising a U-shaped center section having relatively spaced substantially parallel side walls, a U-shaped rear section connected to the center section and having side walls diverging rearwardly from the center section, a U-shaped front section connected to the center section and having forwardly diverging side walls, said sections being in alinement, and article retaining means adjacent the upper edges of a portion of said chute.

5. A chute for pack-aging substantially rectangular sheets of flexible material in openended bags comprising an ingress section, an intermediate section and a bag holding section serially interconnected in alinement with each other, said ingress section comprising a bottom member wider at its outer edge than at its inner edge, upwardly diverging and inwardly converging walls connected to the opposite side edges of said bottom, said intermediate section comprising a relatively narrow bottom member havme upwardly diverging side walls connected thereto, said bag holding section comprising a bottom member having a relatively narrow inner edge and a relatively wide outer edge and side walls connected to opposite sides of the bottom member of the bag holding section and diverging outwardly with respect to the intermediate section and being of a lesser height at their outer ends than at their inner ends, and an inwardly extending confining flange on the upper edge of each of the side wallsof the ingress and intermediate sections wherebya bag may be slid over the bag holding section for opening the open end thereof and a she'e't of flexible material may be 'slidbetween the walls of the ingress section and thence between the'walls of the intermediate section immediately beneath the confinin flanges thereby bowing the sheet and decreasing the distance between opposite side edges of the sheet to permit the sheet to be slid into the bag.

- ROBERT B. BROWN.

References Citedlin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 942,257 7 Hansen et al Dec. '7, 1909 1,917,571 Becker July 11, 1933 2,413,556 Fourness et a1 Dec. 31, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date Germany Feb. 23, 1925 

